The slowly simmered broth of this Thai chicken noodle soup is well worth the wait. Though once you add all your favorite toppings, it will be hard to slow down while you're enjoying this soup.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
The complexity and depth of the flavor profile of this Thai chicken noodle soup belie the relative simplicity of its preparation. So what’s the secret? Two words: slow cooker. Provided you have all day to let this Thai chicken soup with noodles cook away, the most time-consuming part of this recipe will be the time you spend enjoying it.
Now, making this Thai chicken noodle soup may require a trip to the grocery store—unless you keep gingerroot and star anise on hand at all times (though once you’ve tried the stuff, you just may start stocking your pantry differently). And don’t forget to try all sorts of different garnishes, by the way!
Ingredients for Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
- Onion: You want a good, large yellow or white onion, chopped in half and with the onion paper removed.
- Fresh gingerroot: This is an ingredient that might send you out to the shops, but it must not be skipped, as it’s essential to the dish!
- Rotisserie chicken: Do yourself a favor and pick up a precooked rotisserie chicken.
- Cinnamon stick: A whole cinnamon sticks is an uncommon ingredient in Western cooking but a delight to the senses in this dish and many other Eastern eats.
- Cloves: A powerful and flavorful spice, these whole cloves lend a unique sweetness and earthiness to this soup.
- Star anise: The star anise partners with the whole cloves to enrich the dish.
- Coriander seeds: The seed version of cilantro so often seen in Thai dishes, coriander plays an important role here.
- Fennel seed: Fennel has a mild licorice flavor, and it joins in with the anise and cloves beautifully in this noodle soup.
- Chicken broth: This recipe calls for lots of chicken broth, and don’t hold back, as a lot of it cooks off during the course of the slow-cooking process.
- Rice noodles: If you have a preferred rice noodle brand, use it! Just make sure you have around 8-1/2 ounces of noodles.
- Brown sugar: Sweet and deep in flavor, the brown sugar balances out the saltier flavors in this dish.
- Fish sauce: Why do so many Thai recipes use fish sauce? Because it tastes great, that’s why. No trick questions here.
- Lime juice: The grace note of this soup is arguably the lime juice, which ties it all together, as salt does in other dishes.
- Optional ingredients: If you choose to add bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves, fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced green onions, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce and lime wedges, then you are making a very good decision.
Directions
Step 1: Broil the onion and ginger
Preheat your broiler. Meanwhile, place the halved onion and sliced ginger on a 15x10x1-inch foil-lined baking pan. Drizzle them with the oil, then broil them, four to six inches from the heat, till they’re well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2: Slow-cook the chicken and broth
Remove the chicken meat from the bones, reserving the carcass and shredding the meat. Place the carcass, bones and all, with the onion, ginger, all the spices and the broth in a 6-quart slow cooker, and let it cook on low for six to eight hours. (Don’t forget to refrigerate the shredded chicken meat!)
Step 3: Cook the noodles
Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions.
Step 4: Combine the strained broth with flavorings
Strain the broth, discarding the chicken carcass, onion, ginger and spices, and keep it warm. Next, stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce and lime juice.
Step 5: Layer ingredients in serving bowls
Finally, place the noodles and chicken meat in soup bowls, then ladle the broth on top. Add the toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Variations
- Add in coconut milk and curry paste: For a different and still quite authentic take on this Thai soup, add 1 or 2 cups of coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of red curry paste to the broth right after you strain out the carcass, veggies and spices. It will create a rich, savory soup.
- Try it with rice: This exact same soup will be quite tasty with rice instead of rice noodles. You can use a brown rice, but a sticky white rice is best. Just cook it shortly before the soup is finished.
- Bring the heat: Red pepper flakes are a welcome addition to this soup. You can add a hefty scoop of them during the slow-cooking to make a spicy broth, or add them to individual bowls, per each diner’s preference.
How to Store Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
This Thai chicken soup with noodles will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Secure it in an airtight container and, when reheating, use a sauce pan on the stove if you have the time, adding a bit of vegetable or chicken broth if the soup has thickened. The microwave works fine too, if time is a factor.
Can you freeze Thai chicken noodle soup?
Yes, you can freeze this soup. It will keep for about three months in the freezer if stored in proper airtight packaging. Try to remove as much excess air from the packaging as possible before sealing it for the freshest preservation.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Tips
Can you make Thai chicken noodle soup in an Instant Pot?
Yes you can, and it will take you about eight times less time! You can prepare the broth in the Instant Pot in about an hour, and all other steps are the same.
Can you freeze the broth for later use?
Freezing the broth for Thai chicken noodle soup is a great idea, as it allows for rapid prep at later times. Make a large batch of the broth following the same steps here, simply using the chicken meat in other dishes. Then, freeze portions of the broth in freezer-safe containers or bags, and you can thaw and simmer them for quick enjoyment later.
What are other topping ideas for Thai chicken noodle soup?
You can really use just about anything that sounds good. Some people toss in crumbled peanuts, some like sliced avocado, some add cucumber discs, and some like to spice things up with radishes or even wasabi.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
6 hours
Yield
8 servings (5 quarts)
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, halved
- 1 piece fresh gingerroot (3 to 4 inches), halved lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 3 quarts reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 package (8.8 ounces) rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Optional: Bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves, fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced green onions, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce and lime wedges
Directions
- Preheat broiler. Place onion and ginger in a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan; drizzle with oil. Broil 4-6 in. from heat until well browned, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones; reserve carcass and shred meat. Place carcass, onion, ginger, spices and broth in a 6-qt slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Strain soup and keep warm; discard carcass, vegetables and spices. Stir in brown sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Place noodles and chicken in soup bowls. Ladle broth into soup bowls. Add toppings of your choice.
Nutrition Facts
2-1/2 cups (calculated without optional toppings): 398 calories, 15g fat (4g saturated fat), 78mg cholesterol, 1321mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 1g fiber), 32g protein.
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This slow-cooker soup is a semi-homemade version that coaxes all the flavor out of a rotisserie chicken. The prep work for this can be done the day before so you can toss it into the slow cooker with ease. —Beth Jacobson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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